Elizabeth Newport
JHB South
Summary
Financial leader with extensive experience in financial management and operational controls. Proven track record in analyzing financial plans, enhancing profitability through cost control, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive growth.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Financial Manager
Uber Nutrition (Pty) Ltd
2024.10 - 2026.04
- Analyzed financial plans, contributing to annual budgets and forecasts that supported business growth.
- Lead audits and compliance reviews to ensure regulatory adherence.
- Monitored financial performance, identified variances, and provided actionable insights to enhance decision-making.
- Conducted financial analyses to support strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
- Ensured compliance with accounting standards and regulations across all financial reports.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to assess new business opportunities and strategies.
- Developed and tracked financial KPIs, measuring performance and pinpointing areas for improvement.
Financial Management Accountant
Petrow Food Ingredients (Pty) Ltd
2023.08 - 2024.09
- Evaluated business potential for exit from business rescue with team.
- Developed financial reports to support decision-making processes.
- Analyzed budgets and forecasts for operational effectiveness.
- Managed expense tracking and financial reconciliations diligently.
Financial Manager
Dessertworx (Pty) Ltd
2019.12 - 2021.06
- Day to day financial review of specialised company with many facets to the accounting structure.
- Handled the payroll and any HR function as needed.
- Improving profitability and financial controls by reducing cost, making sure the manufacturing yields are achieved, correct stock levels are maintained and reducing any wastage and loss.
- Monthly management reporting in the form of a full set of management accounts with comments as to cost increases or decreases dependent of the monthly trading situation.
- Weekly Debtors and Creditor recons, cash flow and forecasts.
- Review of Balance sheet recons and clearing items on recon.
- Reviewing and assisting in branch forecasts.
- Review of expenses, implement cost cutting /control system.
- Support to Operational, Production and Technical functions.
- Budget preparations - Facilitating and verifying the company budget.
- Very diverse operation ranging from compiling pricing models to determine the profitability of our range supplied to the various stakeholders.
- Involved in the day-to-day procurement of stock from ingredient to packaging and sourcing the best pricing.
- Reason for leaving: Company closed down
Financial & Admin Manager
Wholesale Housing Supplies (Part of the Dawn Group of Companies)
2012.06 - 2019.12
- Day to day financial review of listed company. The division that I was responsible for made up R500m of the companies trading as follows: Plumbing, Hardware & Stability for Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo branches.
- Responsible for 220 staff within the 3 divisions of which 5 reporting directly to me.
- Improving profitability and financial controls – consolidated the loss-making branches into the Gauteng branch i.e., Limpopo and Mpumalanga by only having a warehouse per site. No stock holding at these branches, stock was delivered to the branches on a weekly basis and distributed to the customers, saving in vehicles, staff and rental as the property was a lot smaller.
- Delivering the required financial objectives – Maximising efficiencies at the branches and evaluating monthly to determine branch profitability.
- Analysing and reporting on results for the three divisions.
- Preventing corporate and reputational risk – delivery of goods on time and in full
- Monthly management reporting.
- Debtors - Strict adherence to the credit management and risk policy - ± 2000 clients ± R102 million monthly debtor’s book.
- Debtors Insurance Management (CGIC)
- Debtors reporting - Collecting 75% of outstanding book monthly, ensuring that the 90 & 120<=1% per month
- Preparation of Insurance, Fraud Registers.
- Centralised Creditors department: the branches would courier their Supplier invoices to H/O, check and then forward for processing and payment.
- Conducting monthly variance and analysis reports on all GL accounts and assisting with sundry creditor account queries.
- Company fleet, fuel, and cell phone expense management.
- Correspondence with Lawyers regarding legal matters.
- Preparing payroll input information.
- Administrating and preparing the Commission's Scheme for all reps within the divisions.
- Ensure leave is correctly captured, and monthly leave reconciliations done.
- Review of Balance sheet recons and clearing items on recon.
- Review of expenses, implement cost cutting /control system.
- Support Service to Management Team.
- Preparation of all Capex requests for approval.
- Budget preparations - Facilitating and verifying the 3 divisions budget templates and consolidation of these budgets.
- Assisting with the internal and external audits (Planning, info gathering and follow-ups).
- Implement and assisting in implementing internal controls (Policy and procedures).
- Fixed Asset control and audits.
- Stock Adjustments Reconciliations and journals.
- Working Capital control.
- Preparation of Management Packs – Sage financials and then uploading these financials onto Cognos for Consolidation.
- Ad hoc reporting and any other duties that are required by management.
- Analysing ratios e.g., Gross profit, return on investments, return on assets, debtor’s collection period, stock turnover and stock shrinkage rate.
- Review of Cashbook and Bank Reconciliation for 5 cash books currently.
- Petty Cash, Rand & Pula – spot checks done.
- Manage and develop employees within the team.
- Assist with workflow, preparation and recons of quarterly stock takes.
- All administration, checking of variances and overall planning of stock takes for all divisions on Red Prairie/Sage as well as the manufacturing warehouses.
- Freight Focus Billing, billing of all freight cost to External as well as Internal Companies.
- Homebased Fuel Recon using Keyfleet.
- Reason for leaving: Offered the opportunity to move back into the Food Industry
Financial Manager
Snackwells Manufacturing
2011.09 - 2012.05
- A small snack firm approached me to assist with their financial management as the owners were in Australia.
- The company was going through a tough time, and I assisted in streamlining the business to make it more efficient and profitable.
- Cash flow needed to be managed daily hence a large focus was needed to bring the Debtors into terms. This was achieved within 3 months and the trading terms were adhered to.
- The debtor’s book was R5 million monthly.
- Monthly management accounts were sent to the owners with a detailed variance report, showing budget versus actual.
- Managing suppliers, negotiating for better terms and priced and reducing the number of suppliers used as well as stock holding.
- Preparing payroll input information for the company.
- Preparing and submission of statutory returns – UIF and PAYE using E-Filing.
- Handling asset management.
- Compiling annual budgets per department with the assistance of each line manager.
- Handling Risk Management in the form of stock, personnel, and safety.
- Managing cost accounting and marginal costing exercises on a weekly basis to make sure our products were costed at the right price and to determine if any lines were less profitable than others.
- Daily cash management in the form of cash received, controlling of purchases in relation to expected production.
- Production planning and purchasing of raw materials done weekly to maximise production through put and reduce downtime.
- Daily cost accounting on products produced to determine yields and accurate gross profit percentage.
- Weekly stock takes.
- Reason for leaving: Company was sold and I was offered a retrenchment
Financial and Human Resources Manager
Lupo Bakery
2008.09 - 2011.08
- Managing 8 staff directly and controlling the HR which is a staff compliment of 214 in total.
- Analysing and reporting on results – Sage financial system, reported monthly to the Board.
- Managing cash flow by making sure debtor terms were adhered to as well as creditors paid on time.
- Negotiating with suppliers for better pricing and more favourable terms.
- Managing customers- stricter debtor management and enforcing the collection of monies within the set terms – Debtors book was R3 million at the time.
- Preparing payroll input information and the submission of the statutory returns via E-Filing.
- Job costing of all manufactured products, this was vital to the business as we ran multiple products for several different customers. Each recipe was costed individually to determine profitability.
- Handling asset management, Assets more than R15 million at the time.
- Compiling annual budgets.
- Conducting monthly variance and analysis, this was done in detail per product to give management the insight into which products were more profitable than others.
- Updating and writing company policies and procedures.
- Conducting and/or attending disciplinary procedures and hearings.
- Responsible for staff management, leave, sick leave and salary input.
- Screening and appointing of all staff.
- Reason for leaving: I was originally employed for a three-year period with the understanding that the Directors son on completion of his studies would be taking over the financial role. I was happy to hand over the reins to him.
- I was approached by David Smulders the then owner of Snackwells, with an opportunity to run the financial side of his company as he was emigrating to Australia. I had known David for many years so agreed.
Financial and Human Resources Manager
Myriad Medical (Pty) Ltd – Manta Medical Division
2007.05 - 2008.08
- Analysing and reporting on results – Pastel Evolution with multi warehousing, profit, and loss with detailed variance analysis.
- Managing cash flow, making sure that 80% of the R6miillion debtors’ book was collected monthly.
- All creditor invoices were checked against purchase orders, signed off and forwarded for payment.
- Managing suppliers by negotiating favourable trading terms and competitive prices.
- Managing customers by making sure that debtor’s statement is sent on time, account queries are resolved and payments correctly allocated.
- Preparing payroll input information and the submission thereof as well as submission of statutory returns via E-Filing.
- Assisting with the compilation of a Zero-Based annual budget for the company, with all the working and taking into consideration all factors when budgeting.
- Conducting monthly variance analysis against budget versus actual and giving comprehensive reason for any deviances.
- Conducting and/or attending disciplinary procedures and hearings.
- Responsible for group human resources management.
Divisional Financial Director, Northern Division
Prestige Cleaning Services (A Bidvest Company)
2005.06 - 2007.04
- Analysing and reporting on results, regional, and area profitability and asset management.
- Managing cash flow, ROFE, Forecast and Weekly Flashes
- Preparing balance sheet schedules and files.
- Preparing packs for Bidvest board meetings.
- Improving existing systems and controls.
- Preparing statutory annual financial statements for both accounts and tax packs.
- Preparing schedules and reconciliations supporting the annual financial statements.
- Liaising with auditors.
- Attending and preparing for board meetings of joint ventures.
- Handling insurance claims and declarations as well as fixed assets registers.
- Identifying training needs and conducting training where necessary.
- Ensuring controls are in place in regions and divisions.
- Attending regional visits.
- Reviewing Debtors and Creditors for the Division
- Attending to other ad hoc financial and administrative requests from management.
- Adhering to strict deadlines.
- Reviewing on an ad hoc basis quality of information shared at meetings.
- Reviewing continuous audits undertaken by staff.
- Managing and collecting supplier rebates.
- Approving and releasing creditors and other payments.
- Implementing and maintaining the ISO 9001 quality system.
Business Development Manager, Tenders
Fedics (Pty) Ltd
2002.10 - 2005.06
- Acquiring and delivering agreed sales budget within the tender market.
- Delivering professional, innovative, realistic sales proposals and bids and presentations which reflect the integrity, standards, procedures, and ethos of the company.
- Creating, developing, and maintaining meaningful relationships with both existing and potential clients.
- Responsible for leading and managing all costings and purchasing pertaining to the tender business.
- Preparing budgets and forecasts for the tender division.
General / Administrations Manager
Nutritional Foods (Pty) Ltd
2002.02 - 2002.09
- Responsible for the management of School Feeding Schemes in Gauteng and Mpumalanga to the value of R7 million per annum.
- Responsible for the procurement of bulk approved cost-effective foodstuff, costing and distribution to individual schools in Gauteng and to selected depots in Mpumalanga.
- Determining market size and share.
- Negotiating contract prices with individual tenders and controlling administrative and financial services.
- Negotiating with relevant government departments regarding submission of claims and expedition of payments.
- Liaising with district officials and contractors.
- Checking and maintaining stock levels and procuring stock timeously.
- Drawing up monthly financial statements for individual tenders and Nutritional Foods to determine profitability and to monitor margins.
- Handling involvement with the administration of two SMME companies by compiling quotes, costing, price lists and financial statements.
- Sourcing new tenders and business for school, crèche, or state and/or national and relief aid by liaising with government officials.
Bakery Manager
Sunbake, Asizakhe Bakery
1990.10 - 2001.12
- General and operational management of the bakery in its entirety.
- I learnt the bakery business from the bottom up i.e., methods of baking, product yields, losses, stock management, despatch, and distribution.
- Managing the administration department including accounting functions, debtors, and creditors.
- Handling costings.
- Compiling financial reports at month end to trial balance.
- Preparing annual budget and viability reports.
- Dealing with all bakery statistics including sales, diesel, and production.
- Supervising the administration staff including the personnel officer, wages, cashier, and switchboard.
- Placing orders and matching G.R.V’s to invoices.
- Controlling financial expenditure by the implementing control systems to manage shortages, returns, crates, stock, and plant and vehicle maintenance.
- Implementing proper control measures to effectively manage the distribution department.
- Arranging bakery training and functions including typing confidential reports.
- Relieving the Human Resources Practitioner when necessary.
- Responsible for NOSA Safety coordinator duties.
- Managed all assets and personnel on a 24-hour, seven day a week basis.
Education
B.Com - Accounting
UNISA
1985-01
Matric -
Grenville High School
Rustenburg1980-01
Skills
- Microsoft Office Suite
- MS Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Axapta
- Pastel Accounting Partner
- Pastel Evolution
- Accpac
- Syspro
- Analytical skills
- Impact Wages Program
- VIP Payroll
- Pastel Payroll
- Route Accounting
- Sage X3
- QlikView
- Xero Accounting
- Dear Inventory
- Freight Focus
- KeyFleet
- AS1
- QAD
Languages
- Afrikaans
- English
Personal Information
- Gender: Female
- Nationality: South African
Ethnicity
White
Short Courses
- Occupational Health & Safety
- Fire Fighting and First Aid
- Food Safety Management – HACCP, FSSC 22000 and FSA
- Food Safety Internal Auditor course done
Timeline
Financial Manager
Uber Nutrition (Pty) Ltd
2024.10 - 2026.04
Financial Management Accountant
Petrow Food Ingredients (Pty) Ltd
2023.08 - 2024.09
Financial Manager
Dessertworx (Pty) Ltd
2019.12 - 2021.06
Financial & Admin Manager
Wholesale Housing Supplies (Part of the Dawn Group of Companies)
2012.06 - 2019.12
Financial Manager
Snackwells Manufacturing
2011.09 - 2012.05
Financial and Human Resources Manager
Lupo Bakery
2008.09 - 2011.08
Financial and Human Resources Manager
Myriad Medical (Pty) Ltd – Manta Medical Division
2007.05 - 2008.08
Divisional Financial Director, Northern Division
Prestige Cleaning Services (A Bidvest Company)
2005.06 - 2007.04
Business Development Manager, Tenders
Fedics (Pty) Ltd
2002.10 - 2005.06
General / Administrations Manager
Nutritional Foods (Pty) Ltd
2002.02 - 2002.09
Bakery Manager
Sunbake, Asizakhe Bakery
1990.10 - 2001.12
B.Com - Accounting
UNISA
Matric -
Grenville High School